CO129-066 - Public Offices - 1857 — Page 538

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It has been asserted that Ordinance M. 40f, 1855 affords great facility to smuggling, and that that smuggling is promoted and facilitated by this Ordinance the unexpected testimony / see an extract from a Memorandum on the Estimates quotes above) of the Colonial treasurer to that

effect has been cited.

The only

reason which I can give

Ican for such a construction of the Treasurer's Memorandum, is that he enumerates in the articles of Trade Opium; that ther Lorchas

may assist to increase the costing trade in Opium I have no doubt and every vessel carrying Chinese passengers orconveying Chinese vessel's will do so, but it does not

exist

follow that the vessel is smuggling; I suppose what the Treasurer meant, amounts to this; that these vessels having created a considerable cocasting trade in the produce of the surrounding provinces, naturally will remove the Opium Pade more to the Colony from the out station

and that so long as the Opium Trade it must be unddriftedly more desirable, that it should be canied on in a post which is under control instead of at the various outstations existing on the Coast with the full Knowledge

and connivanx, of the Chinese luthorities, but without any control whatsoever, a though it is but the truth to state, that asfar as the commanders of the receiving ships and

of them are concerned it is wonder ful. now under trying circumstances they have tipt order and preventer Collisions at their respective stations

the crews

Chinese will smoke Opeum. they smoke it in Califonia and Australia. in fact everywhere they gosto, juist the same as in China and if the importation from India is stepped Tomorrow, China itself

of great quantity as done will supply as it has

for many years and that it has son will appear from

the memorials presented to the Emperor by high Mandarins, in 1836 in which it is proposed to legalize

the importation of Opicen

Mr. Fortune saw the poppy.

f rowing for the purpose of obtaining the inspissated juice, and if the Country has

tranquil, than it has been for

hen

more

many.

years,

the

quantity required from India would be much less than it is at present

Asia Minor and Algeria would soon

sepply any deficiency.

The

smug

Camed on

is not

by has, single cases

استم

are

As

of Opeum

cases of course may happen, but as a rule it is not their business, the regular smuggling boats are what are

-are vulgarly called "Fast Crabs and Scrambling Dragons", and as a Chinese Mandarin, Hew-naetse, informs all the Custom Houses and Military Ports which they pass

bargely briber. – I have paid great attention to Ofseeim Smokers, vinted all Opium smoking Coralities I couts get access to, and after having: ticken the trouble to visit various parts of london by day and night for the purpose of seeing its lights ant shades, I do not hesitat esserting that more disgusting scenes are to be seen in the G in palaces &c of this Metropolis than in the Opuum smoking houses firm Convention

and it is

my

That more

misfortunes, brietal nots and Crimes originate from the

than the toe of ardent spirits in this country

from the use of Opium

of Opium in all China with its population Thirteen times as large as that of the United Kingdom Filters Star

Similar laws to that of Ordinance Ne 4 of 1855 exist, only far less stringent, ab Gibraltar, Malta, Singapore, Malacca, Bray &e and nothing is contains in that ordinance which wouls in the slightest way relies either vessel or person from any liability to the laws of either China or

Great Britain, on the

Contrary it facilitates the regular and leage trade, and by putting these vessel, under the port regulation established at the various posts, secures to the Chinese Government its proper duties at the same time enabling the Britis& Ceuthontas to prevent the improper use of the English flay

in the Chinese waters.